One of the most talked about and photographed grizzly bears in the Yellowstone Ecosystem, bear No.104, was killed early May 14 when it was struck by a vehicle on U.S. Highway 14-16-20 west of Cody.

A vehicle, driven by an employee of a National Park Service concessionaire collided with bear No.104 at approximately 1 a.m., as she crossed the bridge over the North Fork of the Shoshone River near Pahaska. The driver was not injured. The accident was first reported to the Wyoming Highway Patrol, and then forwarded to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

According to Grizzly Bear Conflict Biologist Mark Bruscino, it is not unusual for grizzly bears to be active during the early morning hours; in fact, Bruscino said that grizzlies are mostly active from dusk to dawn.

Bear No.104 had a reputation among local Cody wildlife enthusiasts as being a "good" bear. She was trapped and moved several times during her lifetime because she was too comfortable around people. Her movement patterns often included the Middle Fork and Upper North Fork of the Shoshone River, the area around the East Entrance of Yellowstone National Park.

Bruscino said that she lived to be 19 years old and had one yearling cub with her when she died. She was first trapped as a research bear in 1984 on Crow Creek when she was two years old. At four, she produced a litter of two cubs. At seven, she had triplets and at 10 she again produced twins, one of which was often observed as being notably larger than the other. Ironically, the smaller cub also died in a vehicle collision in 1994. Later that same year No.104's radio collar failed, presumably due to expended batteries.

No confirmed sightings of No.104 were made after 1994. "Most of us assumed that she had died, so it was quite a surprise when we saw the dead bear's ear-tags," said Bruscino. Bruscino plans to use No.104 for education purposes. "Given the popularity of 104, I think it is only right that we keep her in the Cody community," he said.